A date has been set for a memorial service at the unmarked grave of a Rorke's Drift survivor - after work carried out by members of Whitwick Royal British Legion.

In February, we reported that the British Legion wanted to erect a headstone at Ashby Cemetery as well as holding the service.

Members of Whitwick RBL put forward the plan for the final resting place of Private John Smith.

With the help of Ashby de la Zouch Town Council some British Legion members - John Unwin, Mark Brown, Bryan Hallam, Clive Ward and Garry Johnson - laid a wreath at Pte Smith's grave.

Mark also did much of the research into the John's life, with Ashby Royal British Legion also helping with the arrangements.

A service is now planned to go ahead on Saturday, May 27, at Ashby Cemetery, at noon.

The Royal Welsh regiment will be in attendance, along with a bugler from the Royal Engineers - so both regiments who were at Rorke's Drift will be represented.

This is subject to change if they get a last minute deployment.

John was part of the Rorke's Drift battle where he was wounded by a spear to the stomach.

It took place during the Anglo-Zulu War - and was made even more famous by the 1960s film, Zulu .

Ashby Town Council has known about the existence of the grave for more than a decade - and mentions it in its cemetery leaflet.

But Whitwick RBL now want it to be properly recognised in memory of John, who sadly took his own life in 1899 at at Heather Railway Station.

A Loughborough stonemason has offered to donate a headstone for the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot, serviceman.

A British Legion spokesperson said: "This is an amazing gesture and we can not thank the stonemason enough. 

"We wanted to put together a service at Ashby Cemetery in conjunction with the Ashby Branch and The Royal Welsh Regiment to finally give John the recognition he so rightly deserves and to mark his last resting place for future generations.

"John has lain in an unmarked grave for 124 years. 

"We don't know if this was because the family had no money or because of the way he died. 

"It was what we now call PTSD, 4,000 Zulus coming at you would do that we would imagine."

Whitwick RBL contacted English Rose Memorials in Loughborough, who agreed to donate a headstone for John.

But it remains a mystery as to how or why he ended up in Ashby. 

Records state that John was present at the defence of Rorke's Drift where he was wounded in action by 'an assegai contusion to the abdomen'.